Garlicky Roasted Tomatoes

published Aug 25, 2021
summer
Roasted Tomatoes Recipe

These sweet and juicy roasted tomatoes will amp up your side dish game.

Serves2 to 4

Makesabout 1 cup

Prep5 minutes

Cook20 minutes to 25 minutes

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Roasted cherry tomatoes on a silver baking sheet.
Credit: Lauren Miyashiro

When tomatoes are in season, they’re juicy, sweet, and velvety, needing nothing more than a bed of crunchy bread, a swipe of mayo (or cream cheese, if you’re me), and a generous pinch of flaky sea salt (or everything bagel seasoning). But when the days get shorter, the air gets crisper, and fall decor and pumpkin-shaped Reese’s start to creep into the pharmacy, summer’s most beloved savory fruit turns mealy and bland. When this happens, I’m only sad for a second — because in my opinion, roasted tomatoes are just as good. Maybe even better.

There are a couple of routes you can take to roast tomatoes: low and slow, or hot and fast. I’ve tested both, and my favorite is the latter. When cooked at 250°F for one to two hours, cherry and grape tomatoes intensify in flavor and soften into a jammy, caramelized consistency. Sounds incredible, right? But in an oven 200°F hotter, the results are nearly identical after only 20 to 25 minutes. Which means you can have the *most* amazing tomato toast 40 minutes to an hour and 20 minutes faster. 

The Best Type of Tomatoes to Roast 

As far as tomatoes are concerned, I prefer to go for the cherry or grape variety. You can keep them whole so that they burst when you bite into them, or you can halve them; the cooking time remains the same. A few garlic cloves and fresh sprigs of thyme add an intoxicating savory aroma, but are completely optional. Just don’t be shy with the olive oil and salt. The leftover extra-virgin olive oil in the pan will turn a beautiful shade of orange and is kissed with the flavor of tomato — don’t let it go to waste.

Do You Remove the Skin from Roasted Tomatoes?

Please don’t! You really won’t notice them while eating, and although the peels loosen from the flesh of the tomatoes in the oven, it’d be pretty tedious to remove each one. They also contain a high concentration of carotenoids, which act as a type of antioxidant (in other words, they’re good for you!).

How to Serve Roasted Tomatoes

Credit: Lauren Miyashiro

Roasted Tomatoes Recipe

These sweet and juicy roasted tomatoes will amp up your side dish game.

Prep time 5 minutes

Cook time 20 minutes to 25 minutes

Makes about 1 cup

Serves 2 to 4

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

For the roasted tomatoes:

  • 1 pint

    cherry or grape tomatoes (10 to 12 ounces)

  • 1/4 cup

    olive oil

  • 3 unpeeled cloves

    garlic

  • 1/2 teaspoon

    kosher salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • 3 sprigs

    fresh thyme (optional)

For serving (optional):

  • 4 thick slices

    bread

  • 1 cup

    whole-milk ricotta cheese

  • Flaky salt

  • Fresh basil leaves

Instructions

Roast tomatoes:

  1. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven oven to 450°F.

  2. Place 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes (halve lengthwise first if large), 1/4 cup olive oil, 3 unpeeled garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and a few grinds black pepper on a quarter sheet pan or medium baking dish and toss to combine. Top with 3 fresh thyme sprigs if using.

  3. Roast until the tomatoes have burst and softened, 20 to 25 minutes. They will be lightly browned in spots and the olive oil will turn orange in color.

To serve (optional):

  1. Toast bread until golden-brown. Meanwhile, squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese and stir to combine.

  2. Spread the ricotta on the toast, then top with the roasted tomatoes. Drizzle with leftover olive oil from the pan, then sprinkle with flaky salt and torn fresh basil leaves.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Roasted tomatoes can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.